How Can You Forecast Tomorrow Morning's Low Temperature?

In our "Horizons" video series about weather, airline pilot and meteorologist Gordon Barnes gives us a tip on forecasting tomorrow's low temperature. He says the dew point on today's 1:00 pm METAR will be tomorrow morning's low temperature.

So I tested it for accuracy. The April 4th, 1:00 pm METAR states a dew point of 48.0° F. The lowest temperature on April 5th was recorded on the 6:00 am METAR as 48.0° F. It works! Now you can use this little known tip for your next early morning flight.

From the March 2009 Issue of Aviation Medical Bulletin

A recent analysis conducted by University of Georgia researchers found that a regular exercise routine increases energy and reduces fatigue; it also is more effective than stimulant drugs.

Tennessee Pilot Shares His Passion

Tyler McFall remembers family stories that as soon as he was old enough to recognize the sound of an airplane flying overhead, he’d grab his mom’s hand and drag her outside to watch it fly over their house. There was never a time he didn’t crave the experience of flying an airplane. As an Instrument rated, single and multi-engine Private pilot, Tyler gets to satisfy his craving just about any time he wants.

Having earned his Private pilot certificate in Chattanooga in April 2008 and his multi-engine the following October, Tyler next began working toward his Instrument rating. He came to American Flyers in Atlanta to take the weekend ground school for the written exam and then came back to finish up the flight training and check ride. Soon he’ll be returning to Atlanta for his Commercial training.

Tyler already has a foot in the door towards his ultimate dream: a cargo pilot for his current employer, UPS. He’s considering becoming a flight instructor to earn the experience he’ll need to qualify for a seat in a UPS cockpit.

One of the things he loves most about flying is taking people up for their first flight and introducing them to the great joy and freedom he finds soaring above the earth. His dad loves to go flying with Tyler and is pleased his son followed his advice: “You’ve got to be doing something you love, or there’s no reason to be doing it.”

You can bet there are young children all over Chattanooga dragging moms outside to watch Tyler fly over their houses.

Destinations

This month’s feature destination is the Cedar Mills Marina and Resort, in Gordonville, Texas. Settled on Lake Texoma, the largest lake in North Texas, and equipped with its own airstrip, (3T0) Cedar Mills could just be the place to start the summer flying season off right!

The 89,000 acre Lake Texoma gives Cedar Mills its unique flavor and charm, from the waterfront dining to the beachfront lodgings, each with a quiet porch for taking in those often unlooked for moments of a sunrise over the water. The adjacent Pelican’s Landing restaurant provides a fun and casual atmosphere. Eat inside or on the patio, either way you have a great waterfront view. Lodgings range from campsites to cabins along the beach, or set back amongst the trees; there are even some cottages that line the airstrip.

Activities include boat rentals, fishing charters, hiking and more. It’s a great family place that’s not too far away ! For more information, visit www.cedarmills.com.

A Map to the Past
“A ship is safe in a harbor; but that is not what a ship is for.” — Ralph N. Helverson

The aeronautical chart: this ubiquitous piece of equipment can be found in almost every airplane on the planet. We as pilots use them, but may not give much thought to their origin. However, this curious pilot must stop to wonder: where did they come from?

Maps and charts are a representation of spatial concepts and are used to convey geographic information. They form the basis for our abilities to navigate across the state via a highway, across the oceans in a ship, and across the globe in high-altitude jet transports. Maps are a universal communication medium.

Cartography is the art and science of map making. Today it is done using satellite imagery and powerful computers. Maps are then mass produced in huge printing houses and sent to… well, any point on the map. However, this digital technology is only the latest spin on an ancient craft.

The earliest surviving examples of cartography in practice come from ancient Babylon circa 2300 B.C. These early maps were carved onto a clay tablet. In the ancient world, the concept of a spherical earth was well known. This idea was given widespread shape by a world map drawn up by Claudius Ptolemaeus (90-168) around 150. Ptolemy’s map was the authoritative representation of the earth until the Renaissance, and was republished many times over.

In Middle Ages Europe, the map was often dominated by the conventions of Christian religion. As such, many maps from this period were drawn with Jerusalem as the epicenter, and East (the Orient) was positioned at the top of the map (hence the term, oriented). Among the issues that plagued early maps was the fact that their production was extremely labor-intensive, being drawn and illuminated by entirely by hand. As a result, maps had very limited distribution. In 1439 however, the printing press was developed, making maps easier to obtain. Maps were produced via a wooden block press, eventually engraved copper plates were used, giving greater detail.

From the 1600’s to the 1800’s, map usage began spreading. In the 15th and 16th centuries, as sea exploration and trade came to dominate the European consciousness, the navigational chart came into its own as exploration and mercantilism via ship spread. Around the middle of the 16th century, eminent cartographer Gerardus Mercator of Flanders devised the cylindrical projection, which bears his name and is still in use today. It was during this period that ‘world maps’ began to appear, mostly due to the explorers who followed Columbus across the Atlantic.

Further advances in mechanical devices allowed for the mass production of maps and the ability to make accurate reproductions from more accurate data. Optical technology such as the telescope and sextant allowed for accurate surveying of land and the ability of mapmakers and navigators to find their latitude by measuring angles to the North Star at night or the sun at noon.

The next significant development in mapmaking was the widespread use of aerial photography after World War I. Advances made in photochemical technology allowed for much finer detail in photographs. This eliminated the need for an engraving process, thus shortening the time needed to produce a map.

The next significant development in mapmaking was the widespread use of aerial photography after World War I. Advances made in photochemical technology allowed for much finer detail in photographs. This eliminated the need for an engraving process, thus shortening the time needed to produce a map.

Electronic technology in the 20th century revolutionized cartography. Computers and peripherals such as monitors, plotters, printers, scanners and analytic stereo plotters, along with computer programs for visualization, image processing, spatial analysis and database management, have democratized and greatly expanded the making of maps.

Thus it is that the maps stashed in our glove compartment, in the seat pockets, or even in your GPS, are only the faintest representation of the road ahead. Think about that the next time you unfold your sectional chart, and realize that the knowledge, skill and guts of millennia have been packaged up and put right into your hand.

Aber, J. S.,(n.d.) A Brief History of Maps and Cartography; http//:academic.emporia.edu University of Minnesota, (2001); James Ford Bell Library, http://www.bell.lib.umn.edu/indext.html; Wikipedia, (2009), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartography

Ask the Pilot Professor
By Dr. Michael Bliss

So much attention these days is placed on GPS navigation and glass cockpits, you could almost get the feeling that you shouldn’t fly without one or the other. However, to add a little spice to your flying life, I’d like to recommend you take a cross country trip using only pilotage to navigate. If nothing else you will find the flight a lot more enjoyable looking out the window rather than at your instrument panel. Make sure you have current charts and draw out your planned route, circling visual checkpoints every ten miles or so. Picking checkpoints that are unique will help ensure you don’t confuse one for something else. It usually works best to find the checkpoint on the chart first and then look for it on the ground. Make sure that surrounding geography corresponds as well. For example, if you pick a bridge across a river, also cross check that it is northeast of the town by about 5 miles.

You will also need to be careful that your planned route of flight will not take you through any airspace you would not be cleared to enter. Don’t forget to check for TFRs. Other than that have fun. You will be amazed at how much this kind of trip will remind you of your student pilot days and why you enjoy flying. Flying solely by pilotage also provides practice of something that will help should all those fancy electronic gadgets go belly up some day.

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